3/11/15

Coffee Date with Tatiana

I love getting to know other bloggers better, and every month I use my Coffee Date series as an excuse to do just that. This month, I asked Tatiana of We Shop in Heels to be my guest. I have followed her blog for about a year now and have always admired her glamorous style. I was fascinated to learn that she is originally from Bolivia since I don't know any other bloggers with a similar background. Read on to get to know her better and learn some of her fashion and beauty tips.

Tell us a little about you: where you grew up, where you live now, and what you do for a living.Tatiana: I was born and raised in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. After I graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting at 22 years old, I came to New York through a cultural interchange program to study English and the American culture. I ended up loving the United States and staying here. I performed different types of jobs to continue my education until I got a job in the Accounting field and stayed in that for 5 years. However, I was always interested in the beauty field, so I decided to give it a try and start a new venture. Now I actually work for a designer make-up brand as a beauty advisor/make-up artist.

I don't think I can even imagine how life in Bolivia would be compared to life here in the States. How would you describe the differences?Tatiana: Life is very different here vs. Bolivia. People in Bolivia are very laid back. I recently took a vacation to visit my family and I enjoyed it a lot. It’s like nothing has changed except everyone is getting older (including me! ha!). I always think I belong to two different worlds – I love my life in the United States where I found the love of my life (my husband), and I feel free to achieve anything I want with hard work, it’s my American Dream. At the same time, I miss my family in Bolivia– my roots and where half of my heart belongs.

It seems like pageant culture is big in South America, and South American women frequently win the Miss Universe pageant. Is it popular where you grew up in Bolivia or is it a small subset of people like it is here in the States?

Tatiana: Yes, in my country (Bolivia) pageant culture is big. Everyone can name the different contests they have over there. We have beautiful women who represent the beauty of the country, and showcase our culture and traditions to the world. I grew up watching the Miss Universe pageant, however, it has changed a lot with the years.

Besides pageants, what other pastimes were popular in Bolivia?
I like to watch soccer! It’s a big sport in South America, and I was a big fan of a local soccer team when I lived in my country. Since my Bolivian Soccer team didn’t make it to the Soccer World Cup 2014 in Brazil, I supported the Argentinian team, because I am a half Argentinian by my father’s side.

Let's switch gears a little bit and talk about your blog. How long have you been blogging and what’s been the most surprising aspect for you?

Tatiana: I have been blogging for over a year. My biggest surprise about blogging is how big and supportive this blogging community is. I knew about a few bloggers when I first started, and I have made lots of bloggers friends along the way.

Do you have any recommended reading for other bloggers?Tatiana: I recently read this articlefrom Heart IFB and I found it very helpful:

Do you have any other hobbies besides blogging?Tatiana: I love traveling. Whenever there is an opportunity to explore a new country I take it.. I am an adventurer at heart. I also love doing makeovers to my customers. I enjoy helping women to look their best, and giving advice to find the best products according to their needs.

We seem to have come back to the subject of beauty! Since you're something of an expert in this area, I'd love to know your favorite lip and nail colors since those are my two favorite areas to experiment!

Tatiana: I’m a red lipstick hoarder. Two of my favorites are Chanel Rouge Coco Gabrielle and Giorgio Armani Rouge Ecstasy #400. For nails I love Russian Navy from OPI. I always go for this dark blue shade during the Fall/Winter Season.

All of my Coffee Dates need a little fashion discussion, so let's back up to the first time I "met" you. You were wearing the Anchor Print Portofino shirt from Express, and I loved the way you paired it with your white pumps. That was almost a year ago, so I'm sure you have a few new favorites in your wardrobe now!

Tatiana: Some of my latest purchases are a neon pink blazer, a red trench, and a pair of sneakers that had made me put my high heels aside. I’m seriously in love with them.

I'm always posting about celebrity style, so who would you consider Celebrity Style Inspiration?

Tatiana: I recently discovered through your blog that Taylor swift is a Sagittarian just like me. So I have been watching her style lately.

Well that is is too cool that I helped you make that connection through my Astrology Style Series. And it completely makes sense that you would be drawn to her style because she's got that red lip, classic thing that you like! We should probably wrap it up here, and judging by your coffee cup you'll probably want to touch up that red lipstick now, too! And by the way, I forgot to ask...what's in that coffee cup?

Tatiana: I love a caramel macchiato hot or cold, depending on the season.

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I loved getting to know Tatiana today and one thing I really noticed while going through her pictures is that she does an amazing job of choosing locations for them. To keep up with her and see where she'll be shooting next, be sure to follow along with her blog or find her on Instagram!

And before you go, just a quick reminder that today is the last day to enter to win the Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC. I've included the Rafflecopter below for easy entry!

You should had told me that I got red lipstick on my teeth (bad friend!) lol The red lips on the coffee cup is definitely inevitable unless we are wearing chapstick lol ;) I got so much fun doing this coffee series interview with you!

I love Tatiana's glam style and her blog, I always find inspiration from her styling. It's cool to learn more about her background and how life is back in Bolivia. Another great coffee date post Gina!Martawww.sweatersstripesandsweets.com

I'm glad you featured Tatiana! This was a fun read, and I never would have guessed she was from Bolivia. What an interesting background! And she does have really great style!Carylee | morepiecesofme.com